Rolls Wraith vs Merc S500 on track

Can the world's most luxurious barges survive the TG test track and a chauffeur named Stig?

Indeed as far as engines go, both are the church mice, the librarians of the car world, their impact designed to be felt but not heard. Get them all wound up, and you might detect a faint, distant rumbling, but the noise won't occupy your attention for long, as you'll have more pressing things to attend to - in the case of the Wraith and the hotter petrol S-Class, the rate the scenery is spooling through the windscreen. Mercedes will, of course, sell you an AMG version of the S-Class - a 63 or 65 - but I'm not sure they're the ‘done thing'. Don't get me wrong: no one knows more than Merc how to blend sport and comfort, but tampering with the S-Class's prime directive - the comfort and relaxation of its passengers - is something you do at your peril.

Better to leave the driver to admire his surroundings and give him less excuse to get carried away - especially if you, the owner, is going to be spending time in the back seat. Him up front has plenty to keep himself occupied with anyway, not least a pair of 12-inch configurable monitors. The quality and solidity of everything is breathtaking.